But Talula's Table was all ours now. At 7 p.m. precisely, our party of eight strolled into the quiet market and headed toward the back, where a broad wooden farm table beneath a rustic chandelier was ready to host a private eight-course feast to be remembered.
A vibrant new market like Talula's, opened in March by Aimee Olexy and Bryan Sikora - last seen two years ago when they sold Django, their beloved Center City BYOB - can turn even the most far-flung agricultural hamlet into a must-stop destination. And I know more than a few denizens of Chester County's horse country who've suddenly begun making daily pilgrimages to this mushroom-growing town for Italian coffee, cream puffs and crusty bread, rare cheeses, creamy duck rillettes, house-churned butter, house-made sausages, and other handcrafted delights from Sikora and pastry chef Claire Shears. A recent series of cooking lessons and cheese classes has also caught on.
But word of Talula's farmhouse-table tasting dinners, served to just one group of 8 to 12 a night, four or five nights a week, has wafted far across the foodie grapevine like a very warm and tempting breeze. Kennett Square is a long hour's drive from Center City at the height of evening traffic. Could it possibly be worth the anticipation of a reservation made nearly two months in advance?
Olexy and her staff immediately began pouring from the bottles of chilled Sancerre brought by one of my guests. (All the wines are BYO.) And as I nibbled hungrily on warm puff pastry breadsticks perfumed with butter and a whiff of anchovy, I took an eager glance at the artfully printed menus laid at our place settings.
One of the best meals I've eaten all year was about to unfold.
